Court forcing 16 yr old with cancer into chemo

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

What methods do you use to to decide which altnernative methods you are ok with? Obviously you exclude brocolli necklaces. But on what basis is that obvious quackery but blowing ozone up your ass isn't? Acupuncture is ok without any real validation but presumably you'd cast an eye askance at paper remedies, a modern variation on homeopathy, where they simply write your problem on a piece of paper, along with the homeopathic cure and you carry it in a pocket on the left side of your body with writing towards the body (this is real).

I find it extremely amusing that the only time I can recall you showing any emotion is over homeopathy.

I'm ok with most any alternative treatment. I don't believe in a lot of them, but if others want to then that's ok. At worst they do nothing in most cases.

I really like acupuncture. To the point that I've considered becoming an acupuncturist (which takes six years, so it may not happen). It's been around for over a thousand years, so I think if there were nothing to it, it would have faded away. Plus the bruise thing. I think it works. I believe in chi/meridians, but I have no proof. I'm going to assume that there is some factual/logical basis in there somewhere. Someday I'll do the actual research to confirm it.

As for homeopathy, I think I've been using the term wrong, as I commonly see it used in conjunction with any remedy that comes from flowers. But google defines it as you did. So I think you are correct in assuming it's becoming catchwordish.

As far as anecdotes go, what isn't an anecdote? Don't many studies consist of giving a medicine and asking patients how they feel? Thus, a great deal of science is based in anecdote. I don't feel that anecdotes automatically disqualify anything.

I think some things work and I can't explain why. We know little about thee body, even less about energy of any sort, and almost nothing about the mind. If you compare what we don't know to what we do, we're practically in the dark ages.

Honestly, I don't practice any kind of medicine. If I get a cold or the flu, I simply ride it out and wait for my body to heal tself. I've done the same with walking pneumonia and strep. I'd love to see a naturopath, as I feel it's the best of both world's, but they're painfully expensive. I find all kinds of medicine interesting, natural or otherwise.